In the first two days of our preseason rankings, we covered a pair of positions—point guard and shooting guard—that are very much in flux.

Now, we come to one of the big strengths of the modern NBA, the small forward spot, which is packed with still-valuable veterans (Paul Pierce, Shawn Marion), promising up-and-comers (Paul George, Kawhi Leonard) and the game’s elite (LeBron James, Kevin Durant). There will be high-level small forwards left off the list, but that is the nature of the position today.

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1

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LeBron James, Heat

Numbers: 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists.

James is the best player in the league, and figures to remain so for the next couple of years.

What was frightening about the way he played last season was that, having posted astounding numbers in 2011-’12, he actually had a much better season, raising his shooting percentage to a ridiculous 56.5 percent and making 40.6 percent of his 3s. He has developed a post game and is now an elite defender. What’s left?

2

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Kevin Durant, Thunder

Numbers: 28.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists.

Eventually, Durant will take over the top spot at this position from James. But we’re still a couple of years away from that. For now, Durant remains Player 1A in the league, a fearless scorer who is following James’ lead and filling in the minor gaps in his game.

When it comes to efficiency, Durant is still tops—he hit the magic 50-40-90 threshold (field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage, free-throw percentage) last year, the only player in the league to do so.

3

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Carmelo Anthony, Knicks

Numbers: 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists.

Put aside the notion of whether a championship can be won with a player who is as demanding of the ball as Anthony. Fact is, the guy is a pure scorer who led the league with 28.7 points per game last season.

He shot 44.9 percent from the floor and a career-high 37.9 percent from the 3-point line. He struggled in the playoffs, though, and that will always be an issue with a player of Anthony’s style. For his career, he has shot just 41.7 percent in 66 postseason games—when defenses toughen up and focus on him in the playoffs, Anthony has a hard time.

4

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Paul Pierce, Nets

Numbers: 18.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists.

There are plenty of footsteps from some promising young forwards coming up behind Pierce, who turns 36 next month, but for now, they are still behind him. Pierce has never been a very explosive athlete, but he is a master of changing speeds, rocking his defender to sleep before shuffling past him for a good look at the rim.

He did shoot only 42.6 percent last year, his worst showing in nine seasons, and he will have to sacrifice his numbers now that he is in Brooklyn. But he is still one of the most reliable scorers in the league.

5

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Paul George, Pacers

Numbers: 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists.

George was, oddly enough, named the league’s most improved player in a year in which he did not necessarily improve that much. He took somewhat of a leap last year in that he became the Pacers’ featured player, but he shot only 41.9 percent from the field and is still raw as both a defender and a ballhandler.

Having said that, George has the potential to be among the best players in the game, a versatile wing man with length and skill. He is only 23, and appears set to raise his level this year.

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Kawhi Leonard, Spurs

Numbers: 11.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists.

Leonard is entering his third season, and though he is in a much different situation than George—he is playing with Hall of Famers Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili—his career is proceeding along a similar arc.

He won’t get the opportunity to be the featured offensive option for a while, but he has already established himself as an outstanding perimeter defender and an efficient offensive player with the potential to take on a bigger role. He showed that in last season’s playoffs, when he averaged 13.5 points on 54.5 percent shooting.

7

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Andre Iguodala, Warriors

Numbers: 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists.

Offensively, Iguodala has settled into a pretty mediocre rut—he is still productive, but has not averaged more than 14.1 points in the last three seasons and, in Denver last year, shot only 31.7 percent from the 3-point line and 57.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Iguodala still makes a big impact defensively, though, and the Warriors are hoping that he locates his perimeter shooting stroke.

8

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Josh Smith, Pistons

Numbers: 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists.

The frustrating part of Smith’s game is that his weaknesses are only weaknesses because of the conscious choices he makes—he can’t shoot 3s very well (30.3 percent) and yet he insists on shooting 3s. Smith is more of a power forward than a small forward, but with the Pistons’ front pairing of Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe, it stands to reason that Smith will play small forward. Which will lead to an excess of ill-advised 3s.

Still, Smith is an excellent defender, a great passer for a guy his size and has the athleticism to dunk with the best of them. The Pistons will need to push him to be more efficient.

9

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Luol Deng, Bulls

Numbers: 16.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists.

Deng is coach Tom Thibodeau’s favorite player for a reason—he gives a consistent defensive effort and he plays within himself on the offensive end. He has also led the NBA in minutes played each of the last two seasons, and has done so without complaint.

Deng has struggled with his shooting the last two seasons (41.2 percent and 42.6 percent) which makes some sense considering that defenses have given him more attention as Derrick Rose has dealt with injuries. Rose’s return should be a boost for Deng.

10

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Rudy Gay, Raptors

Numbers: 18.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists.

Gay frequently takes a beating from the NBA’s observer class for something that is not at all his fault—the Grizzlies handed him a max contract that he was never going to be able to live up to. Put that aside, and last year was still an especially rough one for Gay, who was traded to Toronto in January.

He shot just 41.6 percent and had a second consecutive poor season from the perimeter, shooting 32.3 percent. But Gay had laser eye surgery this summer and the hope is that better sight will boost his outside shooting. If that happens, the Raptors won’t be entirely disappointed in the money they are paying Gay.

11

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Shawn Marion, Mavericks

Numbers: 12.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists.

He has 14 years in the league and is 35 years old, but Marion is still among the best small forwards going, and was especially good last year.

He shot 51.4 percent from the floor, had a very good rebound rate (he brought in an estimated 14.5 percent of rebounds while he was on the floor) and is still a tough defender.

12

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Danilo Gallinari, Nuggets

Numbers: 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists.

Gallinari makes up for his poor overall shooting with solid 3-point shooting (37.3 percent) and good free-throw shooting (82.2 percent). He has made improvements in his midrange game, but he would be well-served to lean on his elbow jumper more.

He shot 22.7 percent from 10-16 feet two years ago, and raised that to 48.8 percent last year, but took only 41 shots from that range. He is coming off knee surgery, and might not play until December.

13

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Gordon Hayward, Jazz

Numbers: 14.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists.

Playing with Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, there were not all that many rebounds available for Hayward, but in looking at his performance, that is an area in which he needs to improve.

Offensively, he is an excellent 3-point shooter (41.5 percent) and free-throw shooter (82.7 percent), but needs to improve his midrange game. Hayward is entering his fourth season, and as the Jazz have gone full-throttle into a rebuilding project, he should start asserting his scoring edge more.

14

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Andrei Kirilenko, Nets

Numbers: 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists.

Kirilenko missed 18 games last year, but for the most part, made a successful return to the NBA after two years in the Russian Federation.

He shot 50.7 percent from the field, was a good floor leader capable of running the offense from the forward spot and was, as usual, a top-flight defender. He is joining the Nets and will have to settle into a smaller role, but at age 32, that might not be a bad idea.

15

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Tobias Harris, Magic

Numbers: 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists.

The Bucks never seemed to trust Harris with their small forward spot, and eventually moved him to Orlando for J.J. Redick. They may come to regret the move, as Harris exploded once he got time with the Magic, averaging 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds.

Harris is still raw, but he is athletic and has the size to be a good scorer inside and a solid defensive player—that’s the reason he nosed out better-known players like Jeff Green and Chandler Parsons for this spot. Player development is going to be critical in Orlando, and Harris should be a high priority.